Maharashtra monsoon session: Vijay Wadettiwar to lead MVA voice in lower house

Former minister Yashomati Thakur with Vijay Wadettiwar at Vidhan Bhavan on Tuesday. Pic/Ashish Raje

The Congress, which has emerged the single largest party in the Opposition after the NCP split, has given Vijay Wadettiwar yet another opportunity to work as Opposition leader in the Assembly. On Thursday, Speaker Rahul Narvekar endorsed his appointment a day before the monsoon session ends. The NCP (Sharad Pawar) had recommended its Mumbra MLA Jitendra Ahwad for the post after Ajit Pawar's revolt, but it didn't pursue the matter further. Narvekar said Pawar had withdrawn the previous communication after Wadettiwar, 60, was finalised by his party.

In 2019, barely four months ahead of the Assembly polls, the then Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil had defected to the BJP. An aggressive Wadettiwar had filled the vacancy. Later, he became a cabinet minister in the MVA government. Now, with a year to go for the Assembly polls, the Brahmapuri MLA has been given the role for which he was preferred over leaders much senior to him.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar ceremoniously led Wadettiwar to the Opposition leader's seat in the house. Later, Shinde said the leader wasn't the type who worked from home. "We have worked together in the past. In the pandemic, our paths crossed while reaching out to people in different parts of the state. You worked sincerely as the relief and rehabilitation minister," said the CM, adding that Wadettiwar, a former Sena leader, had not forgotten Balasaheb Thackeray's teachings about social work.

Fadnavis, who has worked with Wadettiwar in the previous Sena-BJP alliance, said the leader was a fine mix of aggression, sincerity and humanity. "I assure the Opposition leader will get the replies that are expected from a government. We will respond in a pointed manner. During my time (as the Opposition leader), I used to get Shivaji Park-type replies," he said, in an indirect barb at former CM Uddhav Thackeray.

Wadettiwar returned the gesture, assuring cooperation whenever required, but not without displaying aggression. "I don't want people to suffer what I have suffered during my childhood. I want to use this position to give benefit to the people who are far from it," he said. In a jovial mood, Ajit Pawar wished Wadettiwar years together in his new position.

‘Identify MLAs who support Ajit Pawar'

Maharashtra Congress president and MLA Nana Patole said that the party took time to name the leader of the Opposition, because of Ajit Pawar's sudden change of position. He asked the Speaker to inform the House about the number of MLAs who support the new DyCM Ajit Pawar.

"Since 2019, political records have been broken in the state. Devendra Fadnavis became the CM and Ajit Pawar the DyCM. That government changed within a few hours and then Uddhav Thackeray became the CM and Ajit Pawar the DyCM. Now Eknath Shinde is the CM and Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar are his deputies. But where are the MLAs who went with Ajit Pawar, exactly how many MLAs are there with him, what is the strength of the NCP? All this should be stated in the House," he said.